Heavy unseasonal rains lash Mumbai and satellite cities

MUMBAI: Heavy unseasonal rains lashed Mumbai and satellite cities on Tuesday morning, bringing down the temperature.

Officials said transport services like local trains and buses have remained unaffected.

Satellite cities like Thane, Mira-Bhayander, and Vasai-Virar too received a spell of heavy showers in the morning.

The India Meteorological Department attributed the westerly wind and moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea as the reason behind the spell.

It is unusual for Mumbai to witness rains in March.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that some parts of Mumbai city and suburbs have recorded up to 20-25 mm of rain between 7 am and 8 am.

In the island city, Central Mumbai areas like Mondavi fire station, Memonwada fire station, Byculla fire station, and BMC headquarters reported 28 mm, 25 mm, 23 mm and 19 mm rainfall, respectively.

Eastern suburbs like Mulund, Gavanpada, and Bhandup Complex recorded 20 mm and 19 mm rainfall respectively between 6 am to 7 am. In the Western suburbs, Dahisar fire station and Chincholi fire station reported 18 mm and 14 mm rainfall, respectively.

Authorities said public transport services like railways and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) remained unaffected.

The civic body said the BEST bus operations are normal, and nowhere in the city, bus routes were changed due to rain or waterlogging.

Railway authorities said train services in the city on all three suburban corridors- main line, harbour line and western line- were running normally.

"Heavy rain was reported in various sections of the Mumbai division, but trains are running smoothly," Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer of Central Railway said.